Fenerbahce given UCL ban

UEFA have announced that Turkish side Fenerbahce have been banned from next season's Champions League and Besiktas from the Europa League over match-fixing allegations.

Romanian side Steaua Bucharest also face sanctions and will not be eligible to participate in one UEFA club competition for which the club would otherwise qualify over a probationary period of five years.

The UEFA control and disciplinary body (CDB) confirmed Fenerbahce would be banned from European competition for three seasons in total, with the third also deferred for a probationary period of five years.

Fenerbahce were beaten by Benfica in the semi-finals of last season's Europa League and qualified for the Champions League after finishing second in the Turkish Super Lig.

It is the second exclusion from Europe's top competition for Fenerbahce after they were banned from the 2011-12 Champions League due to another match-fixing scandal.

A UEFA statement read: "The CDB carefully analysed the situation of both Fenerbahce and Besiktas and has pronounced the following sanctions:

"Besiktas is not eligible to participate in the 2013-14 UEFA Europa League.

"Fenerbahce is excluded from participating in the next three UEFA club competitions for which it would qualify, including the 2013-14 UEFA Champions League season. The ban for the third season is deferred for a probationary period of five years."

UEFA has given all three clubs the opportunity to appeal the decisions to the UEFA Appeals Body.

In the cases of Fenerbahce and Besiktas it was also confirmed that the CDB would collect additional information in order to consider in further detail the different position of each of the individuals concerned.

Their expulsion from the Champions League means Bursaspor will play in the Champions League, Kayserispor and Kasımpasa in Europa League.